If zentsov vs wand in final confict
 

since CC is out (and yes i'm pissed as fuck), I believe zentsov won the supposed reserve match in TE making him the guy to replace CC. I think it could be a good match but not as good as CC. zentsov has KO 2 good muay thai fighters in both of his last two fights. it will stay standing and could be a sick fight, but with CC gone it makes the winner of the tourny not so unpredictable or up in the air.

what do you guys think?

This should be a cracking scrap. Zentsov is a decent journeyman, but his form at the moment couldn't be better so you have to think it's gonna be a "slug-away-until-one-of-them-falls" type match.

It still seems a bit wierd that Crocop entered the GP & has pulled out midway through. With Sakuraba leaving, Silva signing a 3 fight contract with UFC & now this it's looking like the financial squeeze on Pride is beginning to show cracks!

I just want to know what happened to all the shit Mirko used to talk about how the money wasn't important, and that proving he was the best was all that mattered. I don't remember which Pride event, but I believe it was his first back after the loss to Randleman, but CroCop told Bas that all that mattered was the heavyweight title, and he didn't care about money. Seems to me that the Absolute championship is more impressive than a single weight division. Not to mention that his other supposed goal was to beat Fedor, and to win the tourney would give him another shot at that. Besides, I have a hard time believing that a professional athlete, who has competed in these tourneys before, who also maintains an elected political position in his native country, wouldn't have the foresight to examine the purse money situation before entering.

Just for the record, I have until now always been a big fan of CroCop, and would never want to take anything away from him as a fighter, I just find this all too strange.